Bloomberg: Coming to You Live From Facebook, a Lure Back to Your Television

Posted 2 years, 1 month ago

We love live streaming here at TheVJ.com. We think its a great tool for video producers to get their message out without having to rely on traditional platforms. But how do the traditional media companies adapt? One way is to use it to promote their own content.

Over the past week, the New York Times has done multiple daily live streams on topical issues and with some of their best writers and personalities. The key objective of their live stream seems to always get eyes to their original content from the paper or on the NYT website. It's utilized to funnel eyes from one platform to another.

ABC's Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. is emplying the same tactic. Before the show last week one of the lead actors took to facebook to take questions from fans, promote the show and lastly to remind people that the show is on. In a world where people watch television on their own schedule and not the networks (a blow to both the network and its advertisers) having a facebook notification to entice users to the show during its live timeslot is extremily valuable.

Moments before a recent episode of ABC’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” aired on TV, series star Clark Gregg appeared live on a different network: Facebook.

Gregg, who plays agent Phil Coulson, answered fans’ questions from the set of the Marvel show. The glare in his glasses, his gestures off camera and the impromptu responses conveyed an intimate, behind-the-scenes atmosphere. Other cast members made appearances and then Gregg returned to remind everyone about the most important detail: the show was about to start.

Since Facebook Inc. rolled out live video for celebrities last year, the service has become a popular tool for broadcasters like Walt Disney Co.’s ABC to entice TV viewers to watch shows when they air -- and sit through the ads. That’s a real challenge in the era of Netflix and Hulu, when audiences have more options than ever and live TV viewing is declining.

“Over the course of the season we started doing it more and more,” Ben Blatt, ABC’s head of digital marketing, said in an interview. “We want to continue to encourage and incentivize audiences around the idea of meeting up at a time and place for a shared experience.”

ABC isn’t alone. The Fox network used Facebook to bring viewers backstage with country singer Keith Urban on “American Idol,” while Discovery Communications Inc. asked the stars of its nonfiction shows, from snake wranglers to survival experts, to answers fans’ questions. More than 2 million watched Captain Josh Harris answer questions before the season premiere of “Deadliest Catch.” The actual episode drew 2.55 million viewers, according to Nielsen data.